Many authors have reported the importance of electrophysiologic changes in Diabetes Mellitus. However, the pathophysiology of peripheral polyneuropathy in diabetic patients is not yet well known.

The objective of this paper is to obtain the influence of age, duration, clinical symptoms and signs, and fasting blood sugar level to the electrophysiologic changes of peripheral nerve in diabetes mallitus.

Authors measured the values of peripheral nerve conduction velocity, distal latency and evoked potential amplitude in 56 non-insulin-dependent(type II) diabetes mellitus in Kang Nam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Medical College from Jan. 1983 to Agu. 1983.

The results were as follws:

1) Of 56 patients, 41 cases(73.2%) were peripheral polyneuropahty in electrophysiologically.

2) Abnormal values of nerve conduction were decreased motor conduction velocity(75%), delayed motor distal latency(67.9%), decreased amplitude of motor response(47.9%) and decreased sensory evoked potential amplitude(25.0%) in the order of frequency.

3) Median motor nerve(82.1%) and peroneal nerve(60.4%) were most severely affected and facial nerve was involved in 15.6%.

4) There were a close correlation between electrophysiologic changes and clinical signs, and fasting blood sugar level.

5) Duration of diabetes mellitus was correlated to peripheral sensory neuropathy but not to the motor neuropathy.

6) Age was not important factor to effect on peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patient.